Dorsoduro:
Taverna San Trovaso

We've eaten at Taverna San Trovaso for years. It is reasonably priced, good food - not outstanding but reliably good. This trip we went here our first night after arriving from the US and wanted a smaller meal (appetizer and pizza/pasta only). It gets quite busy for dinner so reservations are recommended. A similar, but not identical, menu is available at the nearby Ristorante San Trovaso which is owned by the same people (and shares wait staff). The Ristorante has a nice outdoor seating area.

Reviewed by: AnnieNC from USA, review #3653

When: 2010

I love their pizza!

I've eaten here several times over the years and while they have an extensive menu, I always get pizza. This year, I got the pizza with rucola and grana padano, and it was great. The crust was perfect with a little bit of char on it. I also got a sgroppino and it was perfect too...tart and very lemony.

Reviewed by: Robert Rainey from CA, review #3576

When: 2010

good food, quick service

Directions: Near the Accademia

I think this restaurant is very efficient. We were able to order and get our food very promptly. Mush faster than the Italian norm. The menu has many choices and the food is very good. I do not recall the wine list sorry I think we just passed on our visit here.

Reviewed by: Monica Pileggi from USA, review #3513

When: 2010

A favorite anytime I'm in Venice

Having dined here a few times before, I was looking forward to my return. The place was packed with hungry diners, and while most were tourists, I didnít worry. The food is always good here and the waiters attentive. I started with the bruschetta pomodoro with stracchino, which was fabulous. The stracchino is a local cheese and very mild in taste, very soft and creamy. It was excellent. I also had the mixed seafood dish: fried calamari, shrimp, and some sort of small fish with firm polenta. With house wine and water, dinner came to 33 euros.

Reviewed by: rkorchid from NH, review #2811

When: 2007

Our favorite moderately priced restaurant in Venice.

Three of us had lunch here in October of 2007.

We each had a first course, secondo, and dessert.

They still serve the best pasta e fagioli I have eaten in Italy. Secondi included gnocchi with cheese, spaghetti with mussels and peppers, and an excellent grilled eel.

Dessert was biscotti and sgrappino.

With water and a carafe of Prosecco we paid 90 euro.

Reviewed by: Monica Pileggi from MD, review #1935

When: 2006

Good food, fast service, and lots of tourists.

May 2006: Make sure you arrive on time and make reservations in advance! This place opens at 7pm and when I got there at 7:30 for my reservations, it was 98% filled. Good food, reasonable prices, fast service.

I had the scallops gratin and then spaghetti with assorted shellfish in a red sauce (shrimp, mussels, clams, fish). Everything was very good. I also ordered two 1/2 side dishes: buttered spinach and the sauteed mushrooms. With 1/4 liter of wine and bottled water, my meal came to Ä30.

I've dined here two times before, the first being in 1998. I always try to dine at a new place but will definitely keep San Trovaso on my list to return to.

Reviewed by: Bob Gold from CA, review #1553

When: 2005

Mediocre dinner. Average prices. Large restaurant.

Obviously some people like this place because it's big and busy. It also recently expanded to another location. My wife and I were not impressed.

We made reservations and were given a table in the room near the entrance. I faced a flourescent light in the lobby and I have a thing about that kind of lighting anywhere. The waiter came to take our order and I was surprised to see him punch our orders into a hand held computer. In my book that might fly at Olive Garden but not at a real Italian restaurant - in Venice of all places!

I ordered a bottle of mid-priced champagne (Italian) and told the waiter we were celebrating my wife's birthday. I hope he didn't hear me because he looked at me like, "So what?" The food came and was so so. I can't remember what we had if that says anything. The waiter showed the same indifference the entire meal. The dessert wasn't any better than the meal. The bill was about what we expected. I'd say average for Venice.

I wouldn't say avoid this place at all costs but if you want a special meal there's got to be a better choice. We finished up by 10:30 and the place had already cleared out. We walked around a bit and saw several other restaurants nearby that were really humming. Next time we'll try one of those.

Went twice; sat upstairs once and downstairs another time - both times great.
Found on Shannon's Slow Travel Venice dining list.
Friendly staff made us feel welcome.
Fried seafood platter was delicious, as was the pasta with ham, peas and cream.
They decanted our wine, and we felt very pleasantly mellow here.
This is my idea of a perfect restaurant....I wish I were there now. Reserve or go early - many people were waiting to eat at this restaurant.

Reviewed by: Doru from Canada, review #8

When: 2002

Taverna San Trovaso is a "can't miss" choice.

We arrived at our lunch destination, the Taverna San Trovaso, a bit early, and only a few people were already sitting at tables.

We were met with manifest pleasure, shown to a comfortable table, and with the service not rushed at all, we had our best meal in Venice: the ubiquitous insalata mista and branzino alla griglia for Josette, zuppa di pesce and ossobuco alla cacciatore and polenta for me, half a liter of vino rosso and topped with excellent coffee. As our meal progressed, the Taverna filled with patrons, many evidently familiar to the staff who greeted everybody with a handshake but mostly with embraces. Families with kids, a few tourists like us; a pleasant atmosphere.

All of the above plus water, cover charge, service and additional tip, add up to a round Ä50 for two. Quite unbeatable in Venice.

Reviewed by: Sheila from MD, review #331

When: 2000

Big disappointment. It was moderately priced, but I was not at all impressed by the food.

From postings on the AOL Italy travel boards, I was expecting this to be a moderately priced restaurant with very good food, patronized by locals as well as tourists. Well, it was moderately priced, but I was not at all impressed by the food. At Taverna San Trovaso, most of the dishes were much too salty (and I like salt!). In addition, my veal piccata was excessively lemony. We were surrounded only by tourists; apparently they seat tourists downstairs and locals upstairs. The owner of the apartment said they go there for pizza, so I guess thatís what I should have ordered.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.